Vladimir Nicolayevich Beneshevich (russian: Влади́мир Никола́евич Бенеше́вич; August 9, 1874 – January 17, 1938) was a Russian scholar of
Byzantine history
This history of the Byzantine Empire covers the history of the Eastern Roman Empire from late antiquity until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453 AD. Several events from the 4th to 6th centuries mark the transitional period during which the Roman ...
and
canon law
Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...
, and a
philologer and
paleographer
Palaeography ( UK) or paleography ( US; ultimately from grc-gre, , ''palaiós'', "old", and , ''gráphein'', "to write") is the study of historic writing systems and the deciphering and dating of historical manuscripts, including the analysi ...
of the manuscripts in that sphere.
Beneshevich was a corresponding-member of the
Bavarian Academy of Sciences
The Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities (german: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften) is an independent public institution, located in Munich. It appoints scholars whose research has contributed considerably to the increase of knowledg ...
from 1914, of the
Russian Academy of Sciences
The Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS; russian: Росси́йская акаде́мия нау́к (РАН) ''Rossíyskaya akadémiya naúk'') consists of the national academy of Russia; a network of scientific research institutes from across t ...
from 1924, and of the
Prussian Academy of Sciences
The Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences (german: Königlich-Preußische Akademie der Wissenschaften) was an academy established in Berlin, Germany on 11 July 1700, four years after the Prussian Academy of Arts, or "Arts Academy," to which "Berlin ...
and of the Strassburg Academy of Sciences from 1929.
Beneshevich was executed by the Soviet regime in 1938, and is one of the
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via ...
's "
New Martyr
The title of New Martyr or Neomartyr ( el, νεο-, ''neo''-, the prefix for "new"; and μάρτυς, ''martys'', "witness") is conferred in some denominations of Christianity to distinguish more recent martyrs and confessors from the old martyr ...
s".
Biography
Vladimir Nicolayevich Beneshevich was born on August 9, 1874, in
Druya
Druya ( be, Друя; russian: Друя; pl, Druja) is a historic townlet in Vitebsk Region, Belarus, about 30 km northeast of Braslaw. It is located on the left bank of the Daugava River, Western Dvina, at the mouth of the Druyka River, oppo ...
,
Vilna Governorate
The Vilna Governorate (1795–1915; also known as Lithuania-Vilnius Governorate from 1801 until 1840; russian: Виленская губерния, ''Vilenskaya guberniya'', lt, Vilniaus gubernija, pl, gubernia wileńska) or Government of V ...
of the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
(now
Vitebsk Region
Vitebsk Region or Vitebsk Oblast or Viciebsk Voblasts ( be, Ві́цебская во́бласць, ''Viciebskaja voblasć'', ; rus, Ви́тебская о́бласть, Vitebskaya oblast, ˈvʲitʲɪpskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ) is a region (oblast ...
in
Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...
). He was of
Belarusian ethnicity. His father was a bailiff at the local court, and his grandfather was a priest of the
Russian Orthodox Church
, native_name_lang = ru
, image = Moscow July 2011-7a.jpg
, imagewidth =
, alt =
, caption = Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia
, abbreviation = ROC
, type ...
. He had one brother, Dmitri, who was three years older.
Beneshevich graduated 'first class' from
Vilnius Gymnasium
Vilnius Boys' Gymnasiums () were two secondary education institutions that existed in Vilnius while it was part of the Russian Empire. The 1st Gymnasium was opened in 1803 and closed in 1918. The 1st and 2nd gymnasiums were located in the premises ...
in 1893. He then studied law at the
Saint Petersburg State University
Saint Petersburg State University (SPBU; russian: Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет) is a public research university in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in 1724 by a decree of Peter the G ...
from 1893–1897, graduating with a first-degree diploma. From 1897 until 1901 he studied philosophy, law, and history in Germany, first at the
University of Heidelberg
}
Heidelberg University, officially the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, (german: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg; la, Universitas Ruperto Carola Heidelbergensis) is a public research university in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, ...
, then at the
University of Leipzig
Leipzig University (german: Universität Leipzig), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 Decemb ...
, and finally at the
Humboldt University of Berlin
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (german: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a German public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin. It was established by Frederick William III on the initiative o ...
. Upon his return to Russia, he married Amata Ludmila Faddeevne (1888–1967), daughter of professor of classical philology
Faddei Zielinski at the
University of St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg State University (SPBU; russian: Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет) is a public university, public research university in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in 1724 by a de ...
. The Beneshevichs had three sons; Nikita (1910-1918) and the twins Dmitri (1911-1937) and George (1911-1937).
Between 1900–1905 Beneshevich worked in libraries in Europe and the Middle East, studying Slavic and Byzantine written sources, and participated in his first archaeological expeditions to the ancient religious center of
Mount Athos
Mount Athos (; el, Ἄθως, ) is a mountain in the distal part of the eponymous Athos peninsula and site of an important centre of Eastern Orthodox monasticism in northeastern Greece. The mountain along with the respective part of the penins ...
,
Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai ( he , הר סיני ''Har Sinai''; Aramaic: ܛܘܪܐ ܕܣܝܢܝ ''Ṭūrāʾ Dsyny''), traditionally known as Jabal Musa ( ar, جَبَل مُوسَىٰ, translation: Mount Moses), is a mountain on the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. It is ...
, Egypt, Greece, Asia Minor, and Palestine. He was granted access to handwritten monastic collections in 49 European libraries, and worked in Paris, Vienna, Munich, and Rome, discovering many hitherto-unknown legal monuments in the process.
The main focus of his research activities was to reconstruct the history of Greco-Roman law, based on a systematic source base. He also briefly (1903-1904) taught history of canon law at the Alexander Lyceum. His research findings were published in his
Master's
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. thesis on ''The story of the sources of Canonical Law of the Greek Orthodox Church''
[Full title: ''Канонический сборник XIV титулов со второй четверти VII века до 883 года. К древнейшей истории источников права греко-восточной церкв'']
"Canonical Collection of 14 titles from the 2nd half of the 7th century to 883. The story of the sources of Canonical Law of the Greek Orthodox Church". in 1905, for which he received a Master of Church Law. He had also discovered three new fragments of the ''
Codex Sinaiticus
The Codex Sinaiticus (Shelfmark: London, British Library, Add MS 43725), designated by siglum [Aleph] or 01 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts), δ 2 (in the von Soden numbering of New Testament manuscripts) ...
'' (these are now housed at the
Russian National Library
The National Library of Russia (NLR, russian: Российская национальная библиотека}), located in Saint Petersburg, is the first, and one of three national public libraries in Russia. The NLR is currently ranked amo ...
in Saint Petersburg).
In 1905, Beneshevich was appointed privat-docent of Byzantine history at the faculty of history and philology at the University of St. Petersburg. In 1908, Benshevich was appointed editor of the journal ''Обозрения трудов по славяноведению'', a post that he would held until 1918.
In 1909, Beneshevich was appointed extraordinary professor, and, shortly thereafter ordinary professor of Byzantine history. He also lectured extensively on paleography, and, from 1906 onwards, on the history of canon law at the University's faculty of law, at the
St. Petersburg Theological Academy
The Saint Petersburg Theological Academy (russian: Санкт-Петербургская духовная академия) is a theological seminary in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The academy grants master and doctorate degrees preparing theologi ...
(1906–1909), at the summit of women's courses (1909–1917), at the Raeva (1910–1911), and at the Military Academy of Law (1909–1912).
In 1912, Beneshevich received a doctor of law from the
Athens State University
Athens State University is a public upper-division university in Athens, Alabama. Its academics are housed in three colleges: Education, Arts and Sciences, and Business.
History
Athens State University is Alabama's oldest educational institution ...
. In the same year, and together with egyptologist
Boris Alexandrovich Turayev and linguist
Nikolay Yakovlevich Marr, Beneshevich initiated the founding of the journal ''Christian East'' under the auspices of the Imperial Academy of Sciences.
In 1914, on the eve of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, Beneshevich published his doctoral thesis on the ''Synagogue among the 50 works and other Canonical Collections of
John Scholasticus
John Scholasticus or Scholastikos (c. 503 – 31 August 577) was the 32nd patriarch of Constantinople from April 12, 565 until his death in 577. He is also regarded as a saint of the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Life
He was born at Sirimis, in the r ...
''.
[Originally: ''Синагога в 50 титулов и другие юридические сборники Иоанна Схоластика''.] He was granted a Doctor of Church Law the same year.
Between 1917–1918 Beneshevich served as secretary to the
Council of the Russian Orthodox Church. Between 1919–1926 he served in several different capacities in the Church's archives and libraries; from 1923–1926, as head of the Public Library of the History of Material Culture Academy, and from 1925–1926 as head librarian of the Greek manuscripts department of manuscripts Public Library in Leningrad.
In July 1922, and again in 1924, he was arrested in connection with the
Case of the Metropolitan Benjamin, but was not held long in either instance.
In 1926, Beneshevich was appointed Secretary of the Byzantine Commission of the USSR. In 1927, he was granted permission to travel to Germany on a three-month scientific mission, where he had the opportunity to study a number of Greek manuscripts. Shortly before his return, the
Bavarian Academy of Sciences
The Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities (german: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften) is an independent public institution, located in Munich. It appoints scholars whose research has contributed considerably to the increase of knowledg ...
offered to translate his work on John Scholasticus. Beneshevich consented.
In early 1928, Beneshevich was elected corresponding–member to the
Academy of Sciences of the USSR
The Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union was the highest scientific institution of the Soviet Union from 1925 to 1991, uniting the country's leading scientists, subordinated directly to the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union (until 1946 ...
.
Imprisonment and execution, 1929-1938
In November 1928, he was arrested on charges of spying for the Vatican, Germany and Poland. He was sentenced to three years' imprisonment and sent to
Solovki prison camp
The Solovki special camp (later the Solovki special prison), was set up in 1923 on the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea as a remote and inaccessible place of detention, primarily intended for socialist opponents of Soviet Russia's new Bolshev ...
. He was returned to Leningrad in 1930 to attend trial with his wife and brother on charges of sedition. In August 1931, he was sentenced to five years' imprisonment and sent to in the Ukhta-Pechora prison camp. The arrest and searches almost completely destroyed his collection of (copies of) ancient manuscripts. Of the 49 manuscripts known from his published prolegomena on them, only three survived.
Some 2000 photographs were also destroyed.
At the request of the
Old Bolshevik
Old Bolshevik (russian: ста́рый большеви́к, ''stary bolshevik''), also called Old Bolshevik Guard or Old Party Guard, was an unofficial designation for a member of the Bolshevik faction of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Par ...
Vladimir Bonch-Bruevich, Beneshevich was released prematurely in March 1933. From 1933 Beneshevich then served as archivist of Greek manuscripts in public libraries, and lectured on Byzantine history at Leningrad State University.
The first German edition of his work on
John Scholasticus
John Scholasticus or Scholastikos (c. 503 – 31 August 577) was the 32nd patriarch of Constantinople from April 12, 565 until his death in 577. He is also regarded as a saint of the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Life
He was born at Sirimis, in the r ...
was published in Munich in May 1937. In October, an article in ''
Izvestia
''Izvestia'' ( rus, Известия, p=ɪzˈvʲesʲtʲɪjə, "The News") is a daily broadsheet newspaper in Russia. Founded in 1917, it was a newspaper of record in the Soviet Union until the Soviet Union's dissolution in 1991, and describes ...
'' portrayed this as a betrayal, and questioned why a Russian scientific work was published in Nazi Germany. Beneshevich was dismissed from his post, and on November 27 was arrested on charges of spying for Germany.
Together with his twin sons and brother, who had been indicted on the same charges, Vladimir Nicolayevich Beneshevich was shot by the
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, Naródnyy komissariát vnútrennikh del, ), abbreviated NKVD ( ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union.
...
on 17 January 1938 in Leningrad.
[According to a Academy of Sciences membership roll from 1974, Beneshevich was executed on 19 December 1943. However, a document dated 27 February 1938 refers to the execution, which makes the 1943 date implausible. See also .]
Beneshevich was struck from the rolls of the
Russian Academy of Sciences
The Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS; russian: Росси́йская акаде́мия нау́к (РАН) ''Rossíyskaya akadémiya naúk'') consists of the national academy of Russia; a network of scientific research institutes from across t ...
on 29 April 1938. He was exonerated of the charges of treason by a Military Tribunal LVO on 20 August 1958,
over 20 years after his execution. Beneshevich was rehabilitated by the Academy of Sciences on 19 December 1958.
Contributions
Vladimir Nicolayevich Beneshevich published more than 100 works related to
Byzantine history
This history of the Byzantine Empire covers the history of the Eastern Roman Empire from late antiquity until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453 AD. Several events from the 4th to 6th centuries mark the transitional period during which the Roman ...
and culture. The most important of these are:
* ''Два списка славянского перевода синтагмы Матфея Властаря, хранящиеся в СПб-кой синодальной библиотеке: Описание их и тексты неизд''. ст. Saint Petersburg, 1902.
* ''Канонический сборник XIV титулов со второй четверти VII в. до 883 г. К древнейшей истории источников права греко-восточной церкви''. Saint Petersburg, 1905.
* ''Древнеславянская кормчая XIV титулов без толкования. СПб'', 1907. Т. 1; Sofia, 1987. Т. 2.
* ''Армянский пролог о св. Борисе и Глебе''. Saint Petersburg, 1909.
* ''Ответы Петра Хартофилакса''. Saint Petersburg, 1909.
* ''Описание греческих рукописей монастыря св. Екатерины на Синае.'' Saint Petersburg, 1911—1917. Т. 1—3.
* ''Синагога в 50 титулов и другие юридические сборники Иоанна Схоластика. К древнейшей истории источников права греко-восточной церкви.'' Saint Petersburg, 1914.
* ''Сборник памятников по истории церковного права, преимущественно русской церкви до эпохи Петра Великого.'' (2 issues) Saint Petersburg, 1915.
* ''Вазелонские акты. Материалы для истории крестьянского и монастырского землевладения в Византии VIII—XV веков. Л.'', 1927 (posthumously together with Ф. И. Успенским).
* ''Corpus scriptorum juris graeco-romani tam canonici quam civilis.'' Sofia, 1935.
See also
*
Varlam Shalamov
Varlam Tikhonovich Shalamov (russian: Варла́м Ти́хонович Шала́мов; 18 June 1907 – 17 January 1982), baptized as Varlaam, was a Russian writer, journalist, poet and Gulag survivor. He spent much of the period from 1 ...
*
Persecution of Christians in the Soviet Union
Throughout the history of the Soviet Union (1917–1991), there were periods when Soviet authorities brutally suppressed and persecuted various forms of Christianity to different extents depending on State interests. Soviet Marxist-Leninis ...
Notes
Citations
References
* .
* Маракоў Л.У., "Рэпрэсаваныя літаратары, навукоўцы, работнікі асветы, грамадскія і культурныя дзеячы Беларусі", 1794-1991. Энц. даведнік. У 10 т. Т.1. —Мн:, 2003.
* "Записка об ученых трудах В. Н. Бенешевича, Ф. И. Успенский, В. П. Бузескул, И. Ю. Крачковский, Н. Я. Марр", Изв. РАН. Сер. 6. 1924. Т. 18, ч. 2
Further reading
Biography of his wife:
* .
Biography of his brother:
* .
Biographies of his brother and his sons:
* .
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beneshevich, Vladimir
1874 births
1938 deaths
People from Braslaw District
People from Disnensky Uyezd
Eastern Orthodox Christians from Belarus
Members of the Russian Orthodox Church
20th-century Belarusian historians
Belarusian male writers
Belarusian religious leaders
Moscow State University alumni
Great Purge victims from Belarus
20th-century Eastern Orthodox martyrs
Soviet rehabilitations
Male non-fiction writers